The first order of business, the empress thought as she waltzed into her palace, was to fully redesign the space. She felt the archaic architecture, combined with the outdated decor picked out by the staff were neither regal nor sophisticated. Instead, it was a collection of mismatched antiques so loud she could hardly relax. With her eyes for beauty and grandeur, she turned her redecoration into a leisurely activity than a necessary one with the maids to help.

Everyone seemed genuinely euphoric and ectatic, the new master while their first opinion of her was a fashionista, the promise of a bright future was inevitable and anticipated.

After one week of gossips and excitement, the royal wedding was finally going to be fixed. Invitations were mainly given to musicians, choreographers, aristocrats and middle class littered the guest list. She wanted her wedding glamorous and flashy as it would mark her first introduction to politics and power. The wedding was more of a power show and how she planned to run the country alongside Daejong. Aristocrats vehemently opposed the invitations to the lowest class and vowed not to participate if street urchins and riffraff were in attendance. In light of an immediate uprising, Yoona stroke out lowest class but middle class were non-negotiable, hence, business moguls and all other working class who were not affiliated to any political party snagged an invitation. It was truly a turning point in history.

Activities were high, so many things begged for their individual attention. Between both of their hectic work schedules, it was nearly impossible to find a moment of time together. When he finally found freedom which was midnights, she was already fast asleep; when he was finally free at noontime, she was attending her royal classes on etiquettes of a royal empress.

Don't do this!

Don't do that!

Empress doesn't do this; the phrase was practically ingrained in her mind at this point. As the first middle-class empress in a long line of aristocrat serving ladies, she was constantly being told what to do and when to do it. For the most part, she had no choice but to comply, for her people were not ready for a disruptive woman in a place of power. That being said, she chose to take up her small wins where she could, starting from breaking a tradition that stretched back centuries before her; visiting the emperor in between her lesson time. Well, the tradition was able to stand for long because it was always a marriage of convenience and the emperors had practically no feelings for the aspiring empresses.

To make up for the lost times and missed chances, she decided to surprise him during his lunch break with a basket filled with his favorite treats and also, make a request.

Daejong's heart was warm and excited when she visited him. He let go of his accompanying scroll, rose abruptly to meet her at the door entrance the moment she was announced.

"Yoona, oh how I missed you my love!"

He held her warm hands as his loving eyes interlocked in an appreciation gaze.

"Your majesty!" she squealed as his hands brought her into a tight hug.

"Call me my name when it's just us. Your majesty sounds so foreign coming from you." He cupped her cheeks as soft kisses littered her lips.

"You've lost some weight" he observed, his hands rummaging her body possessively in an assertion discovery.

"Do they mistreat you in any way?" his worried gazes transformed into anger on the notion of someone bullying his woman. Only that he didn't know his cute adorable kitten was a ferocious beast nobody would dare mistreat.

She smiled ruefully as he returned his hands to her enclosed palms. "Soon, who would dare maltreat Daejong's empress and wild cat? " He bashfully chuckled at her playfully distorted face as she micmicked a lion's roar.

"You're beautiful" he brushed an imaginary hair back to her scalp as he led her to sit on his elevated seat, himself, sitting across her like an obedient child .

"You're truly beautiful!"

Yoona shyly leaned in to peck his forehead as her hands uncovered the food basket, a gesture made to hide her tumultuous heartbeat. A little tug on her sleeve led her to notice his pouted lips demandingly asking for a kiss. Hastily, she tried giving him a quick kiss but fell into a love entrapment as Daejong unsuspectingly interlocked her in his arms, his hunger-powered lips ravishing the sweet dish of her succulent lips. His tongue freely found itself rampant as it rolled, sucked and licked her lips like his life depended on it.

Short breaths, low m.o.a.n engulfed the still room which jolted Yoona back to reality. Gently, she pushed the clingy man away from her but somehow found herself in a more compromised position with Daejong innocently kneeling in between her legs on a quest to pin her down.

"Soon, the wedding is happening in a few days. Patience!" she admonished as she pushed his hasty hands away from her bosom.

"I know. I won't go further." his voice came out raspy, a clear sign he already crossed half of the bridge.

"Just let me feel you, I miss you so badly!" His hands returned to it's uncomfortable position. Her abrupt movement of sitting up, cleared his heads a bit .

"Ok, no touching. I just want to kiss you." He repented.

She harrumphed, straightened her messy robe and rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, I accept. I have been a bad boy just now but on my honour, I won't be dishonorable to you. I'll wait till wedding night, but just kiss me now, alright? Just that."

The longing in his eyes were beyond l.u.s.t. It was pure love and it gladdened her heart. Daejong who never knew he was capable of such passion found himself smitten. He didn't know if it was the long days of absence and missing her or the fact that she was truly becoming his, but he knew if not expelled briefly, he might become insomniac, and so he helplessly begged to be petted, nothing e.r.o.t.i.c or skinship, just a harmless kiss and his eyes begged indulgence. It's sincerity gave it a key to relaxing her defense as he took control of her lips. But, Daejong unconsciously found his hands on her bosom, again! Forget what I said about love, Daejong is just being purely l.u.s.tful at the moment. (This big bad boy! lol)

Yoona vehemently pushed him off gently and he had no complaints because he had no explanation for why he was behaving strangely.

"Let's just eat?".

He ordered his eunuchs to set the table at his garden. Better to not stay in the room with her alone as his emotions kept spilling out. He unpacked the food, handed her chopsticks and served her some before taking his.

After they have enjoyed the meal with the sunshade serving as a perfect backdrop to the exquisite meal, he grabbed her hands and handed freshly picked flowers to her. She sniffed in it's exquisite fragrance as she made her request.

The need to be at her birth home was of utmost importance to her, therefore, she needed to pay a family visit before her ascension into her throne. Days after she was selected, she found herself terribly missing her parents and brother. Despite the promise of a grandiose future, her family would be subjected to so many tribulations. And while her phoenix seat might protect them, it wouldn't make up the gap in status it would bring.

Her true reason being that, before she could truly claim the crown, she needed to become one with the land she would assist to rule while paying homage to her father and ancestors! At the same time, being her mother's little innocent daughter for the last days until life changes her to the high and mighty unapproachable empress.

She wanted to be wedded in winter which was in a week's time or there about. For her, fresh starts comes along the falling snows; her old boring life replaced with a man who pushed her to be her best. To many, the first day of winter represented the end of something great __to her, it was the day in which they started something wonderful together. A beginning of a blissful future and start of a blossoming new relationship.

He had no reason to deny her request so it was granted.

"Chief eunuch!"

The old eunuch scurried to his master as he awaited his royal command.

"My empress would be leaving to her family home, dispatch all my 02 batch to guard her while on transit and give her 24/7 protection till she safely returns to me!"

My empress? The sound of the word lifted the corner of her lips to a big appreciative smile. My empress? she doesn't know why it sounds so heartwarming tears stung her eyes. Lovingly, she gazed at his serious face as he dished out more commands, both on her meals and necessities; and especially on her comfortability. He would have their heads if as much as a mosquito perches on her.

"Won't it be troublesome exposing your secret soldiers?" Her eyes were worry laden as she understood his vunerrable sides would be exposed in a quest to protect her.

"It would be more troublesome if they infiltrate and expose it themselves as no emperor has been allowed as much as a private army. Don't worry, I always have a backup plan".

He shuffled towards her to lift her up.

"Spend the evening with me then have dinner together. I'm cancelling all my plans for the whole evening."

She smiled as she softly squeezed his hands. "As you wish, my love."

As you wish, she readily agreed.